PbWO₄ Crystal Characterization

The main thrust of the experimental work in the JMU Nuclear and Particle Physics Group was designing and building a test stand for characterizing the properties of Lead Tungstate (PbWO₄) crystals. These modern, high-resolution, and radiation hard detectors will form the backbone of high-performance electromagnetic calorimeters to be used in current and planned nuclear and particle experiments. The test stand is optimized for evaluating the uniformity of the crystal’s response along its longest axis. This is accomplished using a Na-22 source and comparing the PbWO₄’s signal to a known (witness) NaI detector, as the two detectors move with respect to one another. In this poster, we present the design, modelling, and construction of the test stand itself, and the data acquisition and analysis workflow.